Is Amateur Radio Green?

Is our hobby of ham radio green? By 'green', of course, I mean is it friendly to the environment? Is it hindering or helping push us toward 'global warming'? Is it contributing to unwanted 'greenhouse gases' in the environment? 'Green' seems to be a hot topic these days and whether you agree with the predictions or not, it doesn't hurt to sit back and think, "should we just keep on our merry way or should we take a look at how each of our lives are affecting our environment?".

Obviously the big culprit in ham radio is electricity usage. Much of our electricity is created by burning fossil fuels, which give off gases that harm our environment. So, are we doing anything right? Yes! Amateur radio operators who are involved in planning for emergencies often have drills where they set up stations that use batteries for power. One such drill is the annual 'Field Day' exercise sponsored by the American Radio Relay League the last weekend in June. Participants receive extra credit for operating their stations during the drill without using power from the grid.

Many hams shun the big power eating amplifiers popular with some hams and operate their stations QRP. QRP simply means "I am transmitting on low power." Today, QRP operation usually assumes 5 watts or less. Hams that are into QRP operation often use battery power. Whether battery or commercial power, at 5 watts they are using a lot less power. For most QRP operators it is the thrill of the chase. They compete for certificates for "Worked all States QRP" or "DX 100 QRP", etc. They often compensate for their low power by having very efficient high gain antennas.

Other hams operate mostly or totally mobile or portable. When mobile, whether they are operating on HF or VHF they are using vehicle battery power. Much of this mobile operation is on the daily commute or on a trip somewhere. If we make the assumption that the alternator is going to charge the car battery whether they are operating or not, the additional fuel used is negligible. Likewise, portable operation using a handheld radio (an HT) also is using battery power. Instead of everyone operating at a high power to reach 50 or 100 miles or more, we have shared repeaters that allow us to use minimal power output from our HTs, such as 1 or 2 watts.

So, where do we get the electricity to recharge those batteries, you say? Many hams love to experiment with solar panels. I have seen some hams at hamfests using miniature solar panels attached to their hats to keep the batteries in their HT at full power. Others have gone the larger route and installed solar panels on the roof of their house to power their equipment or even the whole house.
Other hams do the same thing using windmills. Today they are commonly called wind turbines. At one Field Day not long ago, one of our members even experimented with a water turbine, using a nearby stream, to generate enough electric power to keep a battery charged.

If you're a ham radio operator that uses battery power, including solar, wind, or water power to keep them charged, pat yourself on the back. If you're not, here's a challenge. Find some way to 'go green' with your hobby. I encourage anyone with other examples of how ham radio can be 'greener', please leave a comment by clicking the link below.

Until next time...

'73 OM
DE WA2KKG

This was a repost of a previous post.

How Ham Radio Can Come in Handy Outside the Hobby

This is a personal story, but an example of how ham radio can come in handy in ways that you sometimes don't expect.

In 1962, just six months out of high school, I enlisted in the United States Army. During pre-enlistment interviews and testing at my local recruiting center, the Army decided that my stated interest in radio communications (I was an active short wave listener -SWL, but I hadn't even taken the amateur radio exam yet) would make me a candidate for the U.S. Army Security Agency. So off I went to basic training and then onto Ft. Devens in Massachusetts for further radio training.

It was while at Ft. Devens that a ham radio friend gave me the Novice test, which I passed. So, having been licensed in 1962, I guess that makes me an "old timer" as far as hams go. At Ft. Devens I learned to copy Morse code at 25 to 30 minutes using a typewriter to record. There were no personal computers back then so if you wanted to copy Morse code, you had to either write it down or type it. This then came in handy later throughout my life in my ham radio activities.

From Ft. Devens I was sent to spend the remainder of my enlistment in West Germany. Back then, Germany and the rest of the European continent had been split in half at the end of World War II. During my service I was stationed near that division which came to be known as the "Iron Curtain". That Morse code and the other radio communication training I received was put to good use for the remainder of my time in West Germany.

So, radio communications and ham radio allowed me to spend two wonderful years in a beautiful old world county, to travel around Europe in my off-time, and to even meet some of my ancestral relatives.

As a side note, my cousin Ray, also a ham, got to fly small radio controlled aircraft during his service in South Korea. Thanks ham radio, for allowing both of us to use our radio knowledge while serving out country.

'73
WA2KKG

Ham Radio and Public Service- Part I

One thing ham radio operators have always been known for is participating in public service events. We'll deal with public service for disasters and other emergencies such as RACES, ARES, and Skywarn in Part II. This is about using our radio equipment, our training, our enjoyment of the hobby, and a few hours of our time to help out people in a public way. Often these are events are organized by non-profit groups to raise money for a cause. Most times amateur radio groups like ARES, RACES, and other radio clubs organize local hams to provide radio communications for these events.

In this area of the Mid-Atlantic United States there are too many events of this type to list them all. However, some local events where hams have been of help in this area are: March of Dimes Walk-a-thon, MS-150 Bike Tour (MS as in Multiple Sclerosis), ironman competitions, marathons, Memorial Day and Independence Day parades, Walk for Hunger, Breast Cancer awareness walks, and so many more. Last year I organized a group to provide amateur radio communications for our local PBA Bike Race which ran a 30 mile route. It was great fun and the PBA officers were very appreciative of our efforts.

How do ham radio operators help out? What public service do they provide? First, we often provide radio communications for the organizers during the setup phase. Many of these events involve hundreds of participants and many functions must be organized, such as parking for participants, meal services, transportation back to the start, etc. Hams 'shadow' the key organizers during the hours before the event, so they can communicate with other members of the planning team who may be on the other end of the field, setting up the food tent, or at the finish line for example. Often one ham with a higher power mobile radio acts as net control for the day coordinating message passing by low power hand held radio operators out on the course. See the links below for great tips for the net control station and the shadows and checkpoints.

During the event hams continue to provide radio communications for all areas. The event may be a ten mile walk, a fifty mile bike race, or an outdoor gathering covering an area larger than several football fields. Hams may pass messages, called traffic, to each other on behalf of the organizers about where the leaders of the race are, for instance, by placing themselves at appropriate checkpoints along the route. In a five mile walk or a parade, hams may position themselves along the route or simply join in with the walk to watch for people who are in need of medical help, such as treatment for hyperthermia or a twisted ankle. In a bike race, hams at checkpoints coordinate other hams riding in roving bike repair vans to the location of riders who have broken down. Sometimes a ham radio operator is positioned at a rest stop or checkpoint along the route to watch for participants who may have become temporarily disabled and need assistance.

While these events are great ways to be of service to the public and help publicize amateur radio, it seems fewer and fewer hams are helping with these events. Just last night I received an urgent reminder email from our club president that we are committed to provide public service communications support for the local March of Dimes walk-a-thon and he needs 6 to 8 hams to properly handle it and he only has 2 who have volunteered. The walk is now only 6 days away! Why is that? Are we losing our public service spirit? Are we all just too busy... or too lazy?

These events are good ways to learn how to participate in a net. They help show amateur radio in a positive light. They are often outdoors in warm weather -- who doesn't need a little more fresh air and sunshine? There may be perks like a free t-shirt, free food, a free goodie bag, etc. Spring is the beginning of the season for these events. Contact a local club or two in your area and tell them you want to be contacted for the next public service event they do. If you don't know of a club in your area, check the listing the ARRL keeps HERE. Below are a couple of links to some helpful information about operating in public service events of this type.

Helpful Operating Hints by Bruce Pigott, KC1US
Net Control Tips by Madeline Lombaerde, KD6JTU

Until next time...

73 OM
DE WA2KKG